The present disclosure relates generally to managing engineering and manufacturing changes to a product and, more specifically, to managing changes to a product before, during, and after the product is in production.
As products get larger and more complicated, the difficulty to track all of the parts and processes required to manufacture these products exponentially increases. In addition, there is potentially a large disconnect between the engineers who design the products, the engineers who determine how to manufacture the product, and the mechanics who manufacture the product. These groups may each be on different continents. Clear communication between these groups is vital to ensure that the product is properly assembled. Furthermore, the larger the product, the more documents and paperwork that must be reviewed to ensure that the product successfully transitions from the drawing board to the final product.
Moreover, changes may be made to the product design after the product has gone into production. For example, parts may become unavailable or requirements may change. This is especially a problem for products that require significant amounts of time to assemble, such as day, weeks, or months. Any changes that occur must be carefully traced throughout design documents and manufacturing documents to ensure that all effects of the change are made in the final product.